Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 66,392 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,973,925 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 66,392 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 11.52% of ESCO Technologies worth $473,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. CX Institutional acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. CWM LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 32.2% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESCO Technologies stock opened at $188.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.52. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.30 and a 52 week high of $201.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.36 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $190.42 and a 200-day moving average of $170.91.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.05). ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 11.19% and a net margin of 10.37%. The firm had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $320.23 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.16 EPS. ESCO Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Benchmark boosted their price target on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Profile

ESCO Technologies Inc produces and supplies engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group, and RF Test & Measurement. The Aerospace & Defense segment designs and manufactures filtration products, including hydraulic filter elements and fluid control devices used in commercial aerospace applications; filter mechanisms used in micro-propulsion devices for satellites; and custom designed filters for manned aircraft and submarines.